God's Throne

     It is recorded in Psalm 97:2 concerning God "Righteousness and judgment are the habitation of His throne". (KJV) The NASB translates this passage as "Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne". Psalm 89:14 in the KJV says "Justice and judgment are the habitation of Thy throne". The NASB translates the same passage as "Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Thy throne".

     Within these passages God declares to us an eternal truth about Himself. We find recorded in these verses a certain quality that comprises the habitation or foundation of God's throne. We recognize and comprehend that the word "throne" signifies honor, power and rule in society and government. We have visions that come to our minds when we think about kings and queens sitting upon the thrones of ancient times. We know that a throne is a seat associated with honor, power and rule. We have all seen the pictures of rulers sitting on their thrones. The throne is a seat which manifests the glory of the king to those who cast their eyes upon it. The throne of Solomon with its physical appearance in all its glory is given in 1 Kings 10:18-20. The description is recorded "Moreover, the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with refined gold. There were six steps to the throne and a round top to the throne at its rear and arms on each side of the seat and two lions standing beside the arms and twelve lions were standing there on the six steps on the one side and on the other: nothing like it was made for any other kingdom".

     Along with this splendor as we said before, the throne was associated with supreme rule. Pharaoh made Joseph a ruler over all Egypt in everything except the throne. Genesis 41:40 records "you shall be over my house and according to your commandment all my people shall do homage, only in the throne I will be greater than you". We find that as the kings of Israel were to sit on their thrones to rule that they were to be guided by God's law. Deuteronomy 17:18 commands "Now it shall come about when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself a copy of this law on a scroll in the presence of all the Levitical priests". Part of their responsibility was to administer justice according to God's law. Proverbs 20:8 states "A king who sits on the throne of justice disperses all evil with his eyes". If such were the case today how blessed we would be.

     Psalm 47:8 declares this fact "God reigns over the nations, God sits on His holy throne". His throne is a sacred throne and it is surrounded by the host of heaven. Micaiah declared in 1 King 22:19 "Therefore, hear the word of the Lord, I saw the Lord sitting on His throne and all the host of heaven standing by Him on His right and on His left". We can see from the scriptures presented at the beginning of this article that God's throne is said to be supported by two things. A habitation is a basis, a foundation and a support and those two things are justice and judgment or righteousness and judgment (justice). God sits on His throne judging righteously.  David said in Psalm 9:4 "For Thou hast maintained my just cause; Thou dost sit on the throne judging righteously" and in verse 7 we find that His throne has been established for judgment "But the Lord abides forever; He has established His throne for judgment. Righteousness is defined as what is right and just according to God. It is a legal term signifying justice in conformity. To put another way God's honor and rule is supported by His righteousness or by His justness and justice which is always in conformity.

     God speaks things that are just, things that are right and suitable. Isaiah 45:19 "I have not spoken in secret, in some dark land; I did not say to the offspring of Jacob Seek Me in a waste place; I, the Lord, speak righteousness declaring things that are upright." Psalm 119:137-138 says that God is righteous and His judgments are upright and that He has commanded His testimonies in righteousness and exceeding faithfulness.

     We must bring to remembrance when things in this world are out of balance and we see injustice and unfairness taking place that God sees it also and that the practices go against the very foundation of His throne. With man justice and fairness are subjective to the situation at the time but with God the attributes of righteousness and justice truly belong to Him. Read Isaiah 30:18, Deuteronomy 32:4, Psalm 111:7, Psalm 33:4-5, Psalm 37:28 and Genesis 18:25. There is coming a day in which the Lord will judge the world in righteousness - that He will be judging you and me in righteousness in which we will receive the sentence of Life or Death in conformity with all the rest of the ages.

 - Larry Bumgardner